United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Winnebago, Nebraska, man convicted of Assault by Striking, Beating and Wounding was sentenced on Aug. 13, 2013, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.
Lawrence Bassette, age 28, was sentenced to 6 months of imprisonment and a $10 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bassette was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2013. He pled guilty to an Information on Aug. 13, 2013, immediately prior to sentencing.
The conviction stems from an incident on Jan. 30, 2013, when Bassette assaulted the victim at the Lower Brule jail, where both of them were prisoners. The victim and Bassette were arguing and began to fight, during which time Bassette stuck his finger into the victim’s eye and put the victim into a headlock. When the victim tried to break the headlock, Bassette threw the victim onto the ground, causing him to hit his head on the concrete.
The victim sustained a laceration to the top of his head, as well as injury to his eye.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Lower Brule Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Morley prosecuted the case.
Bassette was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
